Hypnosis assisting device



p 1952 A. M. GORDON HYPNOSIS ASSISTING DEVICE 2 SHEETS -SHEET 1 Filed July 27, 1950 Fig.1

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Alan M. Gordon mmvroa WWW A. M. GORDON HYPNOSIS ASSISTING DEVICE Sept. 2, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed July 27, 1950 m R. m n m 0 6 mm M 0 a m w vh a m 5 m fl m r @W Y m."r ai 3 '31 R 5 m mm! QM mm H w m WW 0 on ll .3 mm mm Wk Wk Q Q g -6F vw mm ow mm vw mm m 9k mm Patented Sept. 2, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WM ,t

Has sis-' A'ssIs'rINc DEVICE Alzthllliffi'tfidomfl. Apartments/ 27, 1950,:Serial no; 176,215

e ciliiifis. (circaii This invention relates to a device to assist in inducing hypnosisv by providing the illusion that the operation of an external electrical-or mechanical machinewill produce sleep;

An object of this invention is'ito provide: ade vice' which may be employedfor creating an illusion that a person is becoming sleepy to facilitatehypnosis, said device; in one suggestedvform including a case whichhas'incorporatedtherein the combination of ametronome; i'a' fiasherla'mp, a dynamometer, a perfume distributor-anda concealed" means for relieving :pressure of the dynamometer to provide a false reading on a visual gauge for thedynamometer. To; this end, the device is to be used by :the patientaccompanied 'byoral or written instructionswhich. if followed, shall bring about a state of hypnosis.

Ancillary objects and features ofiimportance will becomeapparent in following the description of: the illustrated form of theinvention.

In the drawings: 1 p, l o

Figure l is an elevational view of the device;

Figure 2 is a sideview of the devicei'n Figure piston rod 36.

connectedtothe leve'r 32. This resilient means consists of a spring 38 which is attached at one end to the lever 32.and at the other end to a stationary part of the case to. Accordingly, the operation. of the movable ,handle 32 causes the pistonrod 36 to move inwardly and outwardly of thercylinde'r'. 40. This cylinder accommodates a pistonorpiston head 42 which is fixed to the A passageor port, is provided in the iston and a spring-loaded ballcheck valve 48 is operative in connection with the port 45. The ball check valve in itselfisrconventional including a cageA8 with a spring-reacting-thereon, the spring l and showing the valveito control the eiricacy of the dynamometen'said valve being; disposed in a placewhich will: not be visibleto the "patient when" actuating the dynamometer; and I r J v Figure 3 is a 'schematic'view of thearrangement 'of: element's'in the case;

In carrying out this invention,.thereis,provided a casingor-housing 10 having various walls and an instrument andfgauge panel l2. The'case has a welltherein'witha receptacle [4 disposed in the-well. Atube'IG extends from the receptacle andrhas a flexible tube 18 connected. therewith. A mask w is disposed at" the end of theflexible tube [8- and is adapted to cover at least a portion of the face of an individual whereby aromatic material intthe receptacle l4 may bersmelled'by the individual to be hypnotized.,,'Iliroughthis expedient, the hynotist, in inducingghypnosis, may adv-ise the; patient that the ordinaryiperfume in thereceptacle ld is a sleepinducingfdrug;V

A handle-22 .isvmounted for pivotal movement on the bracket 24 by means' oi' a .pin,.2 6,the

bracketbeing" connected to a stationary handle 28. The stationary handle 28 and the movable handle 22 extendfroma platform forming a part of the case H]. A pitman rod 30 is pivoted at one endto the movable handle 22" and at 'the, other end to a lever 32. This leverfis pivoted by the pin 34 to a part of the caseon the interior thereof; A piston rod 36 is pivoted to the lower end of the lever 32 andarresilient means to' oppose the operation of the piston rod and the lever 34, and hence the movable handle 22 is pressing, against aball which seats in the port 45.

The cylinder 40', its piston and the check valve assembly of the piston constitute a'dynamometer. Apressure line orconduit is attached at one lend to the cylinderiand' at the other end to a central opening in the filler plug 52 for the cylinder 40. It willbe noted that the filler plug is on one side ofthe pistonhead 42, while the discharge vendcf-the cylinder accommodates the is closed. thereby pressing fluid under pressure into the line50 through the discharge end ofv the cylinder 4i]. i The .fiuid' "under, pressure passes through a surge-chamber 58 and through a con.- pling fiil which has a visual pressure gauge 62 connected therewith 'The' fluid. also passes through another coupling. 64 having a pressure operated switch 6:3 connected therewith. Then, the jluid under pressurepasses, through. a cou pling fill'whichhas aamanually operative valve Iii connected therewith. The line then returns to the filler plug 52. A

A switch leis-disposed onthe panel l2 and isadaptedto open and close an ele'ctricalcin cuit; IA conductor 18 extends from'the switch it and passes into; the switches .to'be engaged by the contact 88. This contact is disposed in a cylinder. 82Mof electrically insulating material, forming? ja partof the pressure operated switch 66.1;Anelectricalconductor 84' also extends from thezswitchafiii .and is also adapted to be conrtactejd by;;theswitch3plate orcontact 88. A lamp 'BG iS disposed on the panel 12 and isin the conductor. 84;. Extending; across the lineslll and 85 is a metronomeriitiofs. conventional" description. This metronome has a control rod extending therefrom, to which is attached a metronome control button 92. This button is disposed on the control panel I2 for regulation of the frequency of the metronome 88. A lamp 94 is operatively connected with the metronome for operation at the same frequency as the sound section thereof.

The contact 80 is of the plunger type. It rests upon an abutment 98 formed in the electrically insulating material cylinder 82 at the lower end thereof. A passage l in the body of the switch 66 opens into the couplin 64 whereby pressure in the line 50 causes the contact 80 to be lifted against the opposing force of the spring I02 which seats upon the contact 80 at one end and which reacts upon the closure I02 of the switch 63 at the other end.

In operation, the patient is seated in front of the case [0. The operator turns the switch 1:8 to such position as to close the circuit including the lines :78 and 84. This causes the signallight or lamp 86 to become operative. At the same time, the metronome 88 becomes operative to cause a sound in a predetermined frequency and to cause the lamp 24 to be operated at the same frequency. The manual control..92 .for the metronome is set by the operator.

The patient then grasps the movable and sta- 1 tionary handles 22 and 28, respectively, and exerts a squeezing pressuref This causes the piston 42 to move inwardly and presses fluid under pressure through the line 50 including the accumulator or surge chamber 58, the gauge and the coupling 54. When the pressure in the line exceeds eight or ten pounds, the pressure-responsive switch 68 becomes operative, that is, the contact 89 is lifted: againstthe opposing force of the spring I02. This opens the circuit of the lamp 85, causing it to become inoperative.

At the discretion of the operator, the valve Ill which is remote from the vision of the patient, is actuated causing fluid to be released from the line 50 upstream of the valve 10, to be returned to the cylinder 40 on the side of the piston opposite from the work surface. This loss of fluid will cause the pressure to drop in the line 50 so that the patient is then required to apply more pressure on the handles 22 and 23 so as to hold a previously designated pressure reading on the gauge 62. As the movable portion of the handle moves through its arc, it stretches the spring 38, which, as it stretches, produces a greater resistance to operation. Accordingly, as the handle 22 is moved through its arc, the resistance that the spring 38 provides varies from zero to an amount which the patient cannot maintain.

After a time, the patient arrives at a point where he can no longer maintain the predetermined reading on the pressure gauge and the pressure in the line drops below the eight or ten pounds required to keep the pressure switch 66 in such position as to render the lamp 86 inoperative. At this time, the lamp 85 will again become illuminated.

The illusion created is that the patient has become tired and sleepy. Therefore, after a short time the hypnotist may convince the patient that he is actually relaxing so as to induce hypnotism more readily.

After the patient removes his hand from the movable and. fixed handles 22 and 28, the spring 38 returns the movable handle 22 to an initial starting position. It also causes the piston rod 38 to be pulled outwardlyfrom the cylinder 42. At this time the fluid on the non-working side of the piston head 42 returns through the check valve for further use in the system.

. 4 Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A device to assist in inducing hypnosis comprising a case, a fluid operated dynamometer disposed in said case, a handle connected with said dynamometer to operate said dynamometer,

a fluid flow control device connected with said dynamometer for controlling the diificulty of and a lamp responsive to the operation of said means. 1

3. A device to assist in inducing hypnosis comprising a case, a dynamometer disposed in said case, a handle connected with said dynamometer to operatesaid dynamometer, said dynamometer including a cylinder with a piston therein, a fluid pressure line connected at both of its, ends to said cylinder and having a manually operative valve therein to relieve the pressure in said pressure line, and a visual pressure gauge in said pressure line. .4. A device, to assist. in inducing hypnosis comprising-a case, a dynamometer disposed in said 5 case, a handle connected with said dynamometer to operate said dynamometer, said dynamometer including a cylinder with a piston therein, a fluid pressure line connected at its ends to said cylinder and having a manually operative valve therein to relieve the pressure in said pressure line, a visual pressure gauge in said pressure line, a lamp, a switch electrically connected with said lamp .to control the operation of said lamp, and meansiresponsive to the pres sure in the line for actuating said switch.

' 5. In a device to' assist in inducing hypnosis, a case having a. dynamometer therein, said dynamometer comprising a cylinder with a piston therein, a piston rod extending from said piston and through one? end of said cylinder, a pressure line extending from said cylinder and having a pressure gauge therein, a valve in said pressure line upstream of said pressure gauge, said line being connected to said cylinder, the connections ofv saidzline' being on both sides of said piston, means connected to said piston rod for actuating said 'piston,'and means resiliently opposing the operation of said last-mentioned means;

6. The -combination of claim 5 and a lamp carried by'saidcas'e, a switch for said lamp and connected to said pre'ssur'e line' for actuation in response to an amount of pressure in said line, and saidswitch being" arranged to retainsaid lamp operative until :a predetermined pressure is'created'in said line.

ALAN GORDON. 

